What have you learned from facing difficulty, challenges, or disappointments? How has this shaped you?

​Ajay W. -"I didn't have too many friends... It took a couple years for me to come out of the shadows... Now I'm the most social person I can be."

​Athena C. -"My family relied on me to carry out all the different responsibilities in the household. I had to translate, coordinate my brother's play dates, read the bank statements... sometimes I would have panic attacks when I didn't know what to do. I eventually got help, & I feel like I've grown a lot. From tackling these challenges, I've become a stronger person."

Tanya R. - “I didn’t get a reply, but I never stopped... I still don’t give up. The worst thing they can say is ‘no’ or ‘we’re not looking for anyone right now’.”

Kaitlin H. - “I just really had to have confidence in what I thought was beautiful, even if the competition doesn’t think it’s beautiful.”

Angelica - "Since my mom didn't get to finish her degree, I want to make up for it. That's all I care. I want to reach to my dreams & get that degree."

Reisha S. - “At the end of the day, it matters how you finish. If you can finish strong or with a smile on your face, then you are building character & becoming a stronger person.”

Dean S. - “I’ve learned not to become too emotionally attached to poor results & just focus on the next one, while learning the material that I love.”

Jackie L. -“Go for what you believe in & how you want to express yourself, & it won’t matter what other people think.”

Michael B. - “I didn’t perform the way I wanted to perform & it’s something I’ve learned not to dwell on... Put the mistakes in the past & make improvements off of them.”

Payton S. - “I just kept going, knowing that I would eventually be able to compete... It’s important not to lose sight of your long term goals just because of your short-term setbacks.”

Nachiketa G. -“I realized that you can usually fix things if you put a lot of effort into them & try to look at what’s making them go wrong.”

Laura C. -“I ended up not making the team that year... but it taught me to work really hard for what I want. That next year I progressed the most as a player... It's important to persevere & learn from your disappointments. Take them as an experience & be able to move on forward. It will help you grow as a person & as a player as well.”

​Ziad A. - "My biggest obstacle has always been apathy... Justice matters & our work can make a difference."

Sasha C. -“Modeling really teaches you about the real world & how quickly you have to bounce back & keep going. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t get that booking... there will be good things to come.”

Ben H. - "I’ve learned to change my aspect on how I keep my mind set during performances... You have to keep your mind in the music until the very end.”

​Kaelli T. - "Even though it may seem like a huge deal at the time, no matter what happens, you will end up in a good place."​​